What’s Streaming This Week (4/6 - 4/13)
Welcome to When To Stream’s Weekly Preview! Every week, we take a closer look at the major film streaming releases scheduled to launch in the next 7 days. As always, release dates are subject to change.
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Here are next week’s highlights:
Monday, April 7th, 2025
2073 - Max
Synopsis: Inspired by Chris Marker's iconic 1962 featurette La Jetée; the year is 2073—a not-so-distant dystopian future—and the setting is New San Francisco, the scorched-earth tech-dominant police state where democracy and personal freedom have been well and truly obliterated.
What we like:
This sci-fi docudrama comes from filmmaker Asif Kapadia, who won a Best Documentary Feature Oscar for the 2015 Amy Winehouse documentary Amy.
The film interweaves fictional storylines with documentary elements, including archival footage and interviews with journalists and technologists, to explore contemporary issues such as climate change, the rise of authoritarianism, mass surveillance, and the influence of technology on society.
What we don’t like:
NEON kind of dumped this in theaters at the end of 2024 without much fanfare. Reviews were mixed, but it didn’t have much of a chance among all the year-end awards contenders.
Tuesday, April 8th, 2025
THE ASSESSMENT - $16.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: In a climate change-ravaged world, a utopian society optimizes life, including parenthood assessments. A successful couple faces scrutiny by an evaluator over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing.
What we like:
The directorial debut of Fleur Fortuné, who’s assembled a stellar cast, including Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Olson, Himesh Patel, and Minnie Driver.
The film received mostly positive reviews after its premiere at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.
Alicia Vikander received a Best Lead Performance nomination at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards, but lost to Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths. The film also snagged nominations in Best Production Design (it lost), and Best Debut Screenplay (it won).
What we don’t like:
Despite giving it a shot in theaters, the film earned less than $300K at the domestic box-office for Magnolia Pictures.
IN THE LOST LANDS - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: A queen sends the powerful and feared sorceress Gray Alys to the ghostly wilderness of the Lost Lands in search of a magical power, where the sorceress and her guide, the drifter Boyce must outwit and outfight man and demon.
What we like:
Director Paul WS Anderson reunites with his Resident Evil muse (and real-life wife) Milla Jovovich for this fantasy Western, which is based on a short story by our favorite procrastinator George R.R. Martin. When is the next Game of Thrones book coming, George?? (We kid George…because we are also procrastinators…and if we had GoT money, would also enjoy life and take our damn time)
Dave Bautista co-stars with Jovovich, and he could use a hit after the disappointing one-two punch of The Killer’s Game and My Spy: The Eternal City, both of which came and went pretty quickly.
What we don’t like:
Unfortunately for all (especially the financiers) this was a massive bomb in theaters. On a reported $55M budget, the film brought in only $3.2M worldwide. That’s brutal.
MAGAZINE DREAMS - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox struggles to find human connection in this exploration of celebrity and violence. Nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of superstardom, not even the doctors who warn him of the permanent damage he causes to himself with his quest.
What we like:
A hot property after its 2023 premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Elijah Bynum’s bodybuilding drama was courted by distributors like NEON, Sony Pictures Classics, and HBO, before ultimately being sold to Searchlight Pictures (more on that below).
Bynum’s previous feature, 2017’s Hot Summer Nights, featured Timothee Chalamet in one of his first lead performances. He also co-wrote last year’s The Deliverance, so there’s a very good chance he’s responsible for this moment:
What we don’t like:
Searchlight Pictures was set to release the film on December 8th, 2023, in the United States. However, following star Jonathan Majors' assault allegations and subsequent trials and the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Disney removed the film from their release calendar entirely in October 2023. In January 2024, Searchlight dropped distribution rights for the film and the producers began shopping for another distributor. In October 2024, Briarcliff Entertainment bought the rights. Unsurprisingly, it bombed in theaters.
MICKEY 17 - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Unlikely hero Mickey Barnes finds himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
What we like:
Bong Joon-ho’s follow up to his Oscar-winning triumph Parasite features a killer cast: Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun and Naomi Ackie.
The story is adapted from Edward Ashton's 2022 novel "Mickey7”, and reviews have been mostly positive. It currently sits at a 72 on Metacritic.
What we don’t like:
It’s clear Warner Bros had very little confidence in the commercial prospects for the film. It was originally scheduled to be released on March 29, 2024, but was taken off the schedule due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. It was rescheduled for January 31, 2025, but was pushed back to April 18, 2025 to take advantage of Easter weekend, and finally to March 7, 2025, swapping the latter date with Warner Bros own Sinners.
NOVOCAINE - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: When the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, everyman Nate turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength in his fight to get her back.
What we like:
Jack Quaid acquits himself well in his first lead role in a studio film. Yes…he’s technically a lead in Companion…but this one has him front and center on all the posters.
So great to see Amber Midthunder here. She made a huge impression in the 2022 Predator prequel Prey.
The film received pretty good reviews, and is just the sort of mid-budget action-comedy we should have more of in theaters.
What we don’t like:
Nepo-baby discourse alert! Yes, Quaid is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, and Ray Nicholson, son of Jack, also appears in the film. But we’re fans of both. And Quaid has the same kind of gene-distribution that Wyatt Russell (son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) has: A seemingly exact 50/50 split between his parents. Sometimes you can see Dennis…sometimes you can see Meg. It’s quite something!
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL - $19.99 Sale Only
Synopsis: On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.
What we like:
Zambian-Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s follow-up to her 2017 breakthrough feature, I Am Not a Witch. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and won the Best Director prize in that section.
The film was nominated for Best British Independent Film and Best Director at the British Independent Film Awards in November 2024, with lead Susan Chardy winning the award for Best Breakthrough Performance.
What we don’t like:
African cinema is largely ignored by major US distributors, so a special shout-out to A24 for giving this film an elevated profile. It didn’t do much business in theaters, but it should reach Max this summer, where it will hopefully find a larger audience.
SEVEN VEILS - $12.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Jeanine, an earnest theatre director, has been given the task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, she allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away.
What we like:
Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan’s second film with actress Amanda Seyfried. They previously collaborated on the 2009 erotic thriller Chloe.
The film world premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, and was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.
What we don’t like:
Reviews were mixed, and distributor Variance Films was unable to attract many moviegoers. The film earned only $116K at the US box-office.
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE - Hulu
Synopsis: In 1985, while working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.
What we like:
Cillian Murphy’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning role in Oppenheimer is a small, sensitive drama that focuses on the infamous Magdalene Laundries in Ireland. And it’s supposed to be terrific.
The film was co-produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s production company Artist’s Equity.
The film was adapted from the 2021 novel of the same name by Claire Keegan, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection.
What we don’t like:
The title doesn’t really grab you, or tell you anything about what the movie is about. It brings to mind this classic tweet:
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Winter. Somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg. Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen deep within the sidewalk ice and try to find a way to get it out. Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists upon an increasingly-strange walking tour of Winnipeg historic sites. Matthew leaves his job at the Québec government and embarks upon a mysterious journey to visit his estranged mother.
What we like:
Matthew Rankin’s absurdist comedy-drama was named one of the top 5 international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review, and was selected as the Canadian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
The film world premiered in the Director’s Fortnight section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.
What we don’t like:
With all due respect to the hard working folks at Oscillosope, we wish this had gotten a push from a bigger distributor. It’s hilarious and one of the best films of the year. Definitely check it out.
THE WORLD WILL TREMBLE - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: The incredible, untold true story of how a group of prisoners attempt a seemingly impossible escape from the first Nazi death camp in order to provide the first eyewitness account of the Holocaust.
What we like:
Writer and director Lior Geller spent ten years researching the Chełmno extermination camp and was assisted by historian Dr. Na’ama Shik from Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center.
The cast is led by Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jeremy Neumark Jones, and features David Kross, who broke through opposite Kate Winslet in her Oscar-winning role in The Reader.
What we don’t like:
Despite good reviews, Vertical Entertainment quietly released this in a few theaters without reporting box-office grosses.
Thursday, April 10th, 2025
G20 - Prime Video
Synopsis: After the G20 Summit is overtaken by terrorists, President Danielle Sutton must bring all her statecraft and military experience to defend her family and her fellow leaders.
What we like:
Viola Davis gets her very own action thriller, and we’re always excited when she can show her range.
Production was impacted in July 2023 as a result of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, but the film was granted an interim agreement. Davis, in solidarity with her union, announced the following day she would not film until the conclusion of the strike.
Some terrific names in the supporting cast, including Anthony Anderson, Elizabeth Marvel, and Antony Starr.
What we don’t like:
We’re keeping our fingers crossed this one will deliver, though filmmaker Patricia Riggin doesn’t really have much action on her resume. She did direct three episodes of the Amazon series Jack Ryan, so the studio must have seen something they liked.
Friday, April 11th, 2025
THE ALTO KNIGHTS - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Two of New York's most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, vie for control of the city's streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.
What we like:
Robert DeNiro gets to play opposite himself, tackling duel roles in this Barry Levinson-directed mob drama. You know who set the bar high for playing opposite themselves? Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. It may not be Raging Bull or Taxi Driver, but little Lohan really knocked it out of the park.
Some big name talents involved in the making of the film. In addition to Levinson, Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas) wrote the screenplay, Dante Spinotti (Heat, L.A. Confidential) did the cinematography, and Jeffrey Kurland (Erin Brokovich, Dunkirk) did the costumes. This movie has some craft!
What we don’t like:
Unfortunately, reviews have been pretty dismal, and the film tanked in theaters. Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav reportedly championed the film, so it seems his instincts are as sharp as ever.
ERIC LARUE - $16.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Janice is struggling; she moves through life as if in a haze, unable to let go of her anger and frustration. While her husband has found refuge at a new church, Janice finds it hard to seek solace in her faith despite her pastor’s pleas to heal her wounds by meeting with the mothers of her son’s victims.
What we like:
Michael Shannon’s directorial debut is an adaption of the play Eric Larue by Brett Neveu, which debuted in 2002 at the Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago. Shannon is a founding member of the theater.
Shannon’s frequent collaborator Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories) is an executive producer on the film.
The super-talented Judy Greer gets a rare lead role, and she’s supported by stacked cast that includes Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Annie Parisse, and Alexander Skarsgård.
What we don’t like:
Filming was scheduled to start in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2022, but citing an Arkansas state law which banned nearly all abortions in the state, including cases of rape and incest, as well as the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, it was announced that the production had withdrawn from the state and would instead be filming in and around Wilmington, North Carolina. Good for them. Fuck abortion bans.
MAGPIE - Hulu
Synopsis: A couple's lives are thrown into disarray when their daughter is cast opposite a controversial major star.
What we like:
Sam Yates, making his feature film debut, directs this neo-noir thriller, which centers on married couple Anette (Daisy Ridley) and Ben (Shazad Latif), whose lives begin to fracture when their daughter is cast alongside a glamorous movie star, Alicia (Matilda Lutz). As Anette’s suspicions of Ben’s infatuation with Alicia intensify, their secrets and lies threaten to burst to the surface and destroy them all.
The original story was developed by Daisy Ridley, and the screenplay was written by actor Tom Bateman. The two worked together on the Murder on the Orient Express remake and are now married.
What we don’t like:
Although we’re assuming it’s explained in the film, Magpie is not exactly a grabber of a title. The film has such an intriguing premise! Why the bland title?
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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